“Nah, she’s good. We have opposite schedules, so we only see one another in passing.” I brush off his suggestion, hoping he’ll drop the subject.
“Cool. So, I’m curious though, why didn’t you say anything?”
“It must have slipped my mind. I'm here at the club so much that, I forget I have a roommate until I hear noises in the house of someone else around.”
“That’s what she said too. Thanks for giving her a place to stay. Just do me a favor and make sure she doesn’t date any assholes.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Thankfully, I’m not particularly considered an asshole. Wait! We’re not dating.
Beck decided to send both Mal and me home and instructed us to not come back to the club tonight. She said that she and Janae, our lead bartender, would look after the place. Unsure what to do with myself, I went home. It’s been over a year since I’ve had the night off. All the time Cam has been living in my home, we’ve never been home at the same time for longer than an hour, aside for a few overlapping hours of sleep. It’s early evening as I enter the house. I don’t hear Cam, and I’m not sure if she’s even home or when I should expect her to be home. I want to seek her out and see when she will be home, but instead I go about my normal routine as if she wasn’t here.
I want her. That much I admit, however, I’m not sure how her brother would view anything romantic happening between his sister and me. If he got pissed about it, I’m not sure I could deal with losing my best mate. So, right now I need to keep my mind occupied and that means I need to not be around her as much as I would like.
And boy would I like to be around her, a lot.
I’ve changed out of my work clothes and am pulling on a pair of shorts when I hear Cameron singing out of tune from somewhere in the house. I quietly walk through the house in search of her. The singing grows louder as I walk into the kitchen. I sit on a stool at the island and listen to her butcher what sounds like a Taylor Swift song asking about whether or not I’m ready for something. I place my elbows on the island and my head in my hands as I observe her. She shakes her ass in short spurts and I notice the wireless headphones in her ears. When she turns around and sees me, she throws herself against the other counter and screams.
Her hand is over her chest and her chest is heaving as her wide eyes look at me. She pulls the earbuds out and mouths oh my god a few times as she catches her breath. With her hair up in a messy bun, strands of blonde cascade around her face. Her hand is pushing on her chest still pushing her breasts up creating perfectly shaped mountains for my eyes to feast on.
“You all right, love?” I ask with a smile.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she gasps.
“Well, I live here, so…?”
“No shit, Sherlock. I mean you’re never home.”
“Beck is working tonight, giving me a break I guess. So, I’m home tonight.”
“Not going out?” she asks.
“I haven’t been home at this time of night in a while. I figured I’d give prime time television a chance and see what kind of crap is on the telly nowadays, maybe we can hang out?” What the fuck am I saying?
“Cool. Right. So, I’ll give you your space then.” She nods her head and looks at the bag of groceries that she was digging into on the other side of the kitchen.
I stand up and move around the island to look inside the bag. I note the microwave dinners and bag of Cheetos.
“We can’t have any of this, not when I can order Chinese.” I pull open a cabinet and lift the take-out menu out of a pocket sleeve that I have attached to the inside of the door and hand it to her.
“I’m fine. I’ve got my own food,” she says, holding out the menu to me.
“Nonsense. I’m home and I’ll buy you dinner. None of this from-a-plastic-tray crap.”
“It’s not crap.” She folds her arms defensively.
“We’re not going to argue about this. Choose your items and I’ll order in,” I say and leave the kitchen not giving her another chance to protest.
I’m sitting on the couch, my bare feet up on the coffee table as Cam comes and sits beside me. She hands me the menu and frowns.
“Listen, I can go hang out in the bedroom if you want to be alone,” she says quietly.
“I don’t want to be alone. Do you eat microwave dinners every night?” I ask sternly.
“Not every night, but a lot. They’re easy.”
“You should be eating healthy, balanced meals, not stuff out of a cardboard box.”
“And Chinese food – it’s healthy and balanced?” She smiles as she tilts her head.
“Touché. It’s not, but it tastes fucking good and I haven’t had Chinese food in a while.”
“You make no sense.” She shakes her head.
Do I want her to try to figure me out?
Chapter Four
Cam
We sit a foot apart on the couch, eating out of the takeout cartons of Chinese food. Jacks ordered too much food, and when he shoves the last bit of undon noodles into his mouth, he leans back and groans as he hands the carton in my direction. I push it away, I can’t eat anymore food.
“That tastes so fucking good,” he breathes out. The sound is sexy as hell.
Down, girl. Put away those thoughts and remember he is off limits. He’s your brother’s best mate. And you know that fact will prevent Jacks from ever starting anything with you.
I watch him. His head leans on the back of the couch, his hand still gripping the carton, and he has a lazy smile on his face. He lifts his head and looks at me.
“I’ve never seen someone so happy about Chinese food.” He looks a little turned on. I’m sure that’s just my wants and desires altering what I see.
“I generally don’t allow myself to eat this stuff, but every now and then I cheat and eat unhealthy.”
“I think my microwave dinner was more nutritious than this, but I do have to say it all tasted good.” I lick the end of my chopsticks.
I look over to him and he’s watching my movements. He sits up and clears his throat.
“So, Mal knows you’re staying here.” He changes the subject.
My brother was surprised when we discussed my current living arrangements over dinner the other night. I was surprised as well. I figured Jacks would have mentioned it to him. Unknowingly, I let the cat out of the bag then got a stern lecture from Mal about men and roommates.
“Yeah, I didn’t know you were keeping me a secret,” I tease him.
“I had forgotten to mention it, but now I’m charged with making sure you stay out of trouble and don’t date any assholes.”
“So you’re my keeper now?”
“You’re not a prisoner, Cam, you know that. I guess he just wants me to look out for you.”
“Hard to do that when you avoid home.”
“I’m not avoiding home, I’m just… busy.”
“Were you always this busy?” I ask.
“That’s a loaded question.” He shakes his head.
“Answer me this, then. Before I moved in, were you home a little more?” I question.
“I might have been.”
“So you haven’t been home because of me?” He lets my question hang in the air before he looks at me and takes a deep breath.
“You’re a temptation, Cam. You’re also my best mate’s blood. I’m trying to do the right thing by that and, I guess, keep some distance between us to prevent anything from happening between us again.”
I’m a temptation to him, but he doesn’t want me. Or he does want me, but he can’t have me. Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back and stand up.
“I don’t want you avoiding your own home because you feel like you need to not be around me. I’m sorry that I’ve put you in this position.” I move to go to my bedroom, a room that I will no longer be sleeping in soon because now I know that I should go and not stay here.
“No.” Jacks’s voice booms through the house and he
lunges for me and grabs my hand.
“No? Jacks you just said—”
“You’re taking this all wrong, Cam. I don’t want you to go.”
“But you are deliberately staying away from your own house because I’m here. That’s unfair to you,” I protest.
“No, I’m staying away from home because I want you so fucking much that I need to keep distance between us in order to control myself.”
“Why?” I ask, my voice quiet.
“Why what?”
“Why do you need to stay away. What’s wrong with you being close to me?”
“We can’t happen. Your brother—”
“He has no say in who I date, what I do.”
“Your brother is my best mate and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be keen on you and me.”
“Have you asked him?”
“No, and I don’t intend to. Cam, this attraction between us, we cannot pursue it.”
“I don’t think it’s something that can be controlled,” I whisper.
“Listen, you’re a good person. You are amazing, Cam. Beautiful and amazing. You don’t need to get involved with me. You should hang out with your friends, have fun. You and I are just not compatible. We can’t be.”
“We can’t or you refuse?” My hands go to my hips and I stick out my foot.
“Cam, let’s just drop it. Your brother wouldn’t approve,” he says with finality.
“My brother isn’t the one to approve my relationships. I am.” I stomp my foot and storm out of the living room, down the hall and into the bedroom like a child. I slam the door and lock it as I throw myself on the bed.
I should have just looked him in the eye and told him to fuck off with his prehistoric views of romance. That my brother doesn’t get a say in who I date and that he should take off his diapers and be a man!
Instead, I lock myself in my room and let the anger boil, avoiding him for the rest of his only night off.
The argument from two nights ago that Jacks and I had is still is fresh on my mind. He told me to go out with friends and have fun, not think about him or us being anything. He’s gone back to putting the distance between us, as he had apparently been doing since I moved in, and I haven’t seen him once.
Meanwhile, I meet up with Sam and a few of her friends after work at the Ice Bar in the Monte Carlo hotel. As I put on the warm fur coat the bar provides, I head into the bar and am met with a chill that I wasn’t expecting. It’s a welcome sensation after the scorching heat of the Las Vegas sun in the summer.
I’ve been in Las Vegas for three months and, in that short span, I’ve learned that this time of year in the city I’ve chosen to make my home in is bright and unbearably hot. Luckily, I work indoors and the air conditioning was constantly pumping, making the indoors comfortable.
Before I approach Sam and company, I grab a shot of vodka and a beer at the ice bar along the wall, then proceeded to the area at the back of the bar where they were sitting.
“Caaaaaaaam!” Sam cheers as I sidle up to her. “Everyone. This is my wonderful, gorgeous, Australian friend, Cameron. Cam, this is everyone!” She waves her hand exaggeratedly to the table as she slurs out her introductions.
After making the official introductions, we all take a few more shots and then decide on where to go next.
“Let’s go bust up some parties!” someone says.
“No, I want to go to another bar!”
“Let’s go to a strip club!” another person cheered.
That perks up my attention. I am all for a strip club, and I have one specific club in mind. It helps that my current roommate and obsession is half owner of one. So what if my brother was the other owner? With Jacks being the night manager, I knew I wouldn’t run into Malcolm and get the whole big brother treatment. Even though I am still upset with Jacks, I want to go out and not think about the crappy shit that was said the other night.
Hmmm. I wonder what kind of treatment I’ll get from Jacks. Will he be pissed off at me for showing up or will he continue to ignore me and keep his distance?
“Cam? Cam?” All eyes are on me.
“Yes?” My eyes focus on their faces staring back.
“What’s your vote?” Sam asks.
“Strip club. And I know just the one,” I say with a devious smile.
Less than an hour later, we’re walking across the threshold of The Essentials. Tonight, is a co-ed night and my favorite bartender is working behind the bar.
Janae was in my brother’s wedding as she has become a good friend of Beck’s and she was aces to hit the dance floor with. We tossed back a bunch of shots and danced around the entire wedding like two rotten dills without a care in the world. She even became my wingman when it came to getting Jacks to start drinking with us.
I stroll right up and lean on the bar, waiting on Janae to notice me.
“What’s it take to get a decent drink in this horrible town?” I sigh when her eyes meet mine and wiggle my eyebrows at her jokingly.
She leans forward, mischief in her smile. “What do we have here?”
“Oh, we’re just looking for some fun.” I smile while looking around. “And some skin.”
“You’re lucky your brother isn't here with you looking like that. How drunk are you already?” She wipes down the spot on the bar in front of me.
I look down at myself and don't think I look trashy wearing a black tank top and skinny jeans.
“A few shots in, I’m cool.” I shrug. “Can we get a round of drinks?”
Everyone makes their orders and we each pay for them. Janae’s gaze keeps falling over to me as if she’s dying to burst out with laughter.
I smile with a wave as we retreat to one of the long tables towards the back of the room. The next show starts in thirty minutes, so we have plenty of time to get situated.
I’m sitting in the middle of the group along one side of the table, when I feel like someone is standing behind me. The girls sitting opposite of me are stunned silent and looking over my shoulder. Sam elbows me and I turn.
Jacks is standing behind me, a scowl on his face and his arms crossed over his black, button-up shirt. His sleeves are rolled to just below his elbow and his forearm veins are looking magnificent.
Yum, vein porn. I lick my lips while staring at his forearms.
He clears his throat and my eyes meet his.
“You gonna introduce us to your friend, Cam?” one of the girls asks. Her tone is slurred and sultry as she follows her question with a giggle.
“Cam. A moment please? In private?” he grunts out.
I say nothing, nod, and stand from my seat.
He steers me towards the edge of the room, a spot that’s dark and deserted. A perfect spot for him to press me against the wall and make my body purr. I shake my head of the lustful, drunken thoughts.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, his hands staying clenched over his broad chest.
“Out with the girls. Why?”
“But why here?”
“Well, when they said that wanted to go to a strip club, yours was the first that came to mind. Isn’t it better that I came here instead of go to one where I didn’t know anyone?”
“That’s beside the point. You shouldn’t be coming to these places.” He shakes his head and runs his hand through his short hair.
“I don’t get why you’re treating me like a child. I’m an adult. I’m hanging with my friends, at a safe place. I don't know why you're mad.”
“I’m not meaning to treat you like a child, but this place isn’t safe. This place suggests sex.”
“So, it's okay for all your other patrons here, but it’s not okay for me to be here? What about for you?"
“I own the place,” he says.
“Jacks. I can take care of myself. So what if a guy or a girl puts their hands on me, or gives me a lap dance? Fuck, at least somebody would touch me,” I say, placing my hands on my hips.
“No one else will be touching you,” he gr
owls.
“No one else? No one else? What the fuck are ‘ya saying? No one is currently! What’s the big deal?” I seethe. I lean forward with my arms straight at my sides, putting our faces inches apart.
His hands come to my hips and he backs me up against the wall. He closes the distance between us and runs his nose the length of my exposed neck.
“I’ve decided that no one but me will have their hands on you,” he breathes out before his tongue lashes out and sears my skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
My breathing is heavy. “You’ve decided, huh? How can you even decide that when you've been avoiding me?”
I wasn’t expecting this. Sure, I thought the corner was ideal for a quick make-out at first when he brought me over here, but I didn’t take Jacks for a mind reader or think that he would act on any feelings he is holding back on.
He pulls back, his hands still on my hips, my back against the wall. His eyes are a storm of desire, his eyes are dilated, his skin is flushed, and his breaths are short.
“I’ll take you home after the show. You’re to stay put. You understand?”
“Yes, sir,” I whisper.
And just like that, Jacks is gone. My body is vibrating from the roar of emotions and the ghosting of his mouth on my neck. My hand goes to where he licked and I smile. In a daze, I walk back to the group.
“So, who was the hunk? He’s got the same faint accent you do. Brother? Or is there some Australian bunch you need to introduce us to? Man, there must be some damn good water over there.”
“That’s Jacks. He and my brother, they own this place,” I say, my voice weak and breathy.
“I would love for him to take me into that dark corner and do whatever he did to make you all jumbley.” Sam laughs.
“Jumbley?” I ask, my eyebrows shooting up in question.
“Yeah, you’re not together, as if he jumbled your insides.”
It’s not long before the show starts. The first routine is a co-ed routine, a couple dancing seductively with a makeshift bed in the background. They weave in and out of one another while removing their clothing. At the end of their performance, the woman was nearly naked, while the man was in a nude colored g-string, giving the impression of nudity. It was beautiful. After that, the performances alternated between just men and just women, getting more and more explicit as they went. Several women from the audience got taken up on stage for solo performances. I kept imagining it was me with Jacks over me.
The Night Moves Boxset: (Stripped, The Hook-up, The Night Manager) Page 17
